Posted - 05/29/2010 : 09:17:42 just got carried into conversation there redneck...your right this topic has nothing to do with phaneuf...next to pronger he is my favorite player, just got carried away a bit with the similarities i guess :)

redneck76ca

Posted - 05/28/2010 : 17:54:20

quote:Originally posted by The Duke

always been a big pronger fan, true hockey player. byfuglien has certainly shown he is an important part of this hawks team, better than i thought he was. hope that PHANEUF will soon be doing pronger like deeds for the leafs, man the leafs have needed a player like this for a loooooong time, as a leaf fan i still cant believe we got this guy, what a steal from calgary !!!

How is it that a topic about Buff and Prongs turns into a Phaneuf plug? I love that Dion is in TO. Now I have one of my most hated players on my most hated team. Thank you Burke.

Matt_Roberts85

Posted - 05/28/2010 : 08:57:46 Tomas Holmstrom is considered to be the best player in front of the opposition net. Pronger managed to handle him very well in the 2007 playoffs (post lockout, with the new rules and all) when he was with Anaheim.

Pronger was asked about this recently and said that he is pretty much just going to let byfuglien plant his ass where he wants and just front him. Get in the shooting lanes and passing lanes and if the puck does get to the front of the net and byfuglien is there, then pronger can take more liberties with him.

Still, I think this battle is getting overblown, If im Pronger Im more worried about Toews and Kane.

Mike Richards probably has the most important job in this series for the Flyers, not only will he be responsible for going head to head with toews in a defesive capacity, he will also be relied on to product offence with Carter.

The series breaker for me will be how much Bolland-Ladd-Versteeg produce offensivley vs how much Asham-Van Reimsdyk-Giroux can produce. The top 6 talent on both teams sort of is a wash.

There is no "I" in team, but there is an "M" and an "E".

mcrosier

Posted - 05/28/2010 : 06:04:08 i think pronger will hold his own with byfuglien. but the hawks are bound to throw the puck into Prongers corner all the time, force him to play the puck and then put the body to him. Having already played as many minutes as he has, he will wear down. In the Olympics, Pronger looked very slow and I think the speed of the Hawks forwards will expose him.

Pasty7

Posted - 05/27/2010 : 12:29:43

quote:Originally posted by polishexpress

Sure, Hossa has 3 finals to his name, but Pronger has won in one of them, and would have won with Edmonton had MA Bergeron not checked a guy into the team MVP Roloson.

AHHH bergeron as a habs fan god i hope he never plays for us again!!!

Pasty

polishexpress

Posted - 05/27/2010 : 12:22:26 Sure, Hossa has 3 finals to his name, but Pronger has won in one of them, and would have won with Edmonton had MA Bergeron not checked a guy into the team MVP Roloson.

Pasty7

Posted - 05/27/2010 : 09:40:45

quote:Originally posted by slozo

I disagree with the notion that Pronger has been handcuffed by the current rules . . . seeing is believing, folks. Behind all the rhetoric of the NHL cleaning up the clutching and grabbing, Pronger and others have continued to be able to make picks in the neutral zone and on the blue line, and do all kinds of "slowing down" maneouvers, mostly illegal.

He is a seasoned vet who knows how to step over the line without getting called as often as he should, and frankly, the refs have not been calling a lot of his shenanigans.

And how about this for a stat: the last three teams that Pronger was traded to all made the final. How's THAT for impact?

"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug

Marian Hossa aswell

Pasty

slozo

Posted - 05/27/2010 : 08:49:16 I disagree with the notion that Pronger has been handcuffed by the current rules . . . seeing is believing, folks. Behind all the rhetoric of the NHL cleaning up the clutching and grabbing, Pronger and others have continued to be able to make picks in the neutral zone and on the blue line, and do all kinds of "slowing down" maneouvers, mostly illegal.

He is a seasoned vet who knows how to step over the line without getting called as often as he should, and frankly, the refs have not been calling a lot of his shenanigans.

And how about this for a stat: the last three teams that Pronger was traded to all made the final. How's THAT for impact?

"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug

Alex116

Posted - 05/26/2010 : 22:49:11 If this is just asking about the battle in front of Leighton, then Beans is right, Byfuglien has the advantage due to the current rules! However, if you're asking overall in the series, i think Pronger will be the more noticable / impact player (overall).

BTW, i still can't stand him and will only root for him when he's got a Team Canada logo on his jersey!

irvine

Posted - 05/25/2010 : 19:05:34 I agree with Beans here, completely.

The forwards have the advantage in front of the net. The defender can establish position, shove a little, and hope for the best. They can not, physically move the forward away from the goaltender or crease area.

Guys like Pronger, are a beast when they can. Sadly, they can't.

I give a slight edge to Byfuglien, because a little push isn't enough to move Byfuglien.

The other factor is going to be that you still have Kane and Toews to attend to. Pronger can't do it all. Timmonen is going to have to play like he's Pronger's size. Richards, asuming he'll be playing the Hawks top line, we'll also need to get down low as best he can.

Irvine/prez.

Rookie

Posted - 05/25/2010 : 18:33:38 I am hoping that Pronger can do what the other teams that faced the Blackhawks couldnt,which was that they couldnt control Byfuglien in front of the net and him being 240+ pounds, if he screens the goalie properly,it will probably be impossible to see,which is why the Blackhawks were so sucessful in their playoff tenture.

The Duke

Posted - 05/25/2010 : 17:25:54 always been a big pronger fan, true hockey player. byfuglien has certainly shown he is an important part of this hawks team, better than i thought he was. hope that PHANEUF will soon be doing pronger like deeds for the leafs, man the leafs have needed a player like this for a loooooong time, as a leaf fan i still cant believe we got this guy, what a steal from calgary !!!

Beans15

Posted - 05/25/2010 : 16:57:32 I would take Pronger in a landslide on this pre-lock out. However, since the rules changes the offensive player has all the advantage. Gone are the days where the big beasts like Pronger and Darien Hatcher could clear the front of the net like a bulldozer.

Byfuglien has the advantage only because the rules are to his advantage. Pronger can not physically push him from the front of the net. All he can do is establish his position.

However, Pronger as slow and old as he looks, still has the best stick in the league.

Guest5396

Posted - 05/25/2010 : 16:24:25 Pronger at times was victimized by Mark Recchi in the Boston series. He is up there in age and has rotated for the most part in a four defence rotation, He has to be getting tired. Great battle but as the series will be won by the new young guns, this individual battle will be won by the young Lion. Pronger wont be a pushover though. Lots of bumps and bruises coming...

nuxfan

Posted - 05/25/2010 : 15:25:11

quote:i think it will come down to which player is meaner... this is gonna be a great battle to watch this final!

don't ever bet against Pronger in a battle of the means! I think Pronger is going to be a huge force in the finals, and not only on Byfuglien. I remember the finals against OTT a few years ago, he was nasty.

FLYING -V

Posted - 05/25/2010 : 15:20:29 don't get me wrong, I think Byfuglien's a pretty tough guy and a formidable presence in front of the net. But this is Chris Pronger, the dirtiest,meanest SOB in the league. Byfuglien'll try to dominate the front of the net like he has in all the series. But honestly i dont think he has what it takes to hang in there with Prongs

Its not worth winning if you cant win big!

Sensfan101

Posted - 05/25/2010 : 12:43:55 Philedalphia has to be careful not to focus to much on Byuglien or they will be hurt by Kane and Toews

You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take Wayne Gretzky

slozo

Posted - 05/25/2010 : 10:51:58 It's a new series, so don't anyone expect Byfuglien to be pushing people around here against the Flyers . . . as they proved against Boston, they are not a team to get pushed around at all.

Even though the rolse are quite different, I give the edge to Pronger. I don't think either will be lighting it up this series, but I do think Pronger will be integral in stopping some of the Chicago players from doing their thing (namely Kane and Toews) and will be more effective/instrumental.

More experienced.

"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug

Pasty7

Posted - 05/25/2010 : 10:45:21 I really don't know who will be the more dominant player infront of the net, pronger is the the taller of the 2 but Dustin is 246 lbs and built like a linebacker! i think it will come down to which player is meaner... this is gonna be a great battle to watch this final!